


you'll always know me

by ensorcel



Category: Military Wives (2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Family Bonding, Fluff, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28448934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ensorcel/pseuds/ensorcel
Summary: Lisa's back from tour. Her family's waiting for her.Set in an AU where Lisa is a musician and Kate a teacher, with their two children from previous marriages, Frankie and Jamie.
Relationships: Kate Barkley/Lisa Lawson
Comments: 7
Kudos: 14
Collections: "evermore" & "folklore" New Year's Eve Exchange





	you'll always know me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zigostia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zigostia/gifts).



> so. there was the most useless conversation with my idiot friends about when to post this and just as a preface: we are all incredibly stupid and here is some gay fic to end out this awful year. written for a fic exchange to songs on taylor swift's very gay and very amazing new album, "evermore". enjoy mwah <3

Kate fiddled with her bag as she waited at Heathrow Airport, standing nervously at the American gate, eyes darting between the flight times bright on the wall and her wristwatch. Soon, people started to walked through the gate, greeting the people they were meeting, rushing to their taxis, wandering through the airport because who the  _ hell _ was really at a goddamn airport on New Year’s Eve? 

She tapped her foot impatiently as she shifted her bag, wondering what on Earth was taking Lisa so long—her flight had landed just a little over an hour ago and she had yet to text or call. Kate checked the flight boards again, confirming that yes, the plane had landed at Heathrow from Pearson, yes, that the passengers had left, and she scanned the somewhat-surprisingly crowded crowd for a head of red hair and probably a stupid hat as well. 

The clock ticked by as passengers slowly meandered out, Kate finally taking a seat, scrolling through her phone and eventually opening up Candy Crush, playing through a couple of levels, answering a text from Frankie saying that no, her mother wasn’t back yet, no that was not how you defrosted the chicken—clearly, she had gotten all of her cooking skills from Lisa—and told Frankie that Jamie best have had the decorations up and everything ready because Lisa’d been on tour for the past two weeks, having had missed Christmas—something that Kate was still a little miffed about—and told them that she loved them and that they would be back soon. 

Kate looked up once more, scanning the slowly-defusing crowd with still no sign of Lisa. She sighed and went back to her Candy Crush game. Suddenly, right as she was almost through this one rather difficult level, a text popped up from Lisa. 

_ sorry, will be later than expected. some delays w/ plane, idk wtf is going on. luv u <3  _

Kate rolled her eyes. 

_ If I have to welcome in this New Year without you, you’re sleeping on the couch.  _

_ ill convince u out of it ;)  _

_ Will not.  _

_ will too _

_ How was your tour? _ Kate typed, changing up the topic because she really didn’t want to round and round on this with Lisa. 

_ good, good. we sold out on all venues, but u already know that  _

_ I’m so proud of you.  _

_ i know ;) thanks darling  _

_ Kate could just hear Lisa’s snarkiness through the text.  _

_ I wish I could’ve been there.  _

_ you had work. understandable and some1 had to keep frankie alive  _

Kate had to keep herself from laughing out loud. Before she had the chance to reply, Lisa’s blue bubble popped back up. 

_ look behind u ;)  _

Kate frowned and turned around, until a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and shook her, and there Lisa was, in all her glory—including that godawful hat that Kate knew she would be wearing—and her hands were warm against her and Kate gasped and nearly dropped her phone.

“Jesus!” she exclaimed, taking a deep breath. “Do you want to send me into an early grave?” 

Lisa just laughed and sat down beside her, grabbing her hand. “Name’s Lisa, but I wouldn’t mind the title of ‘God’ for a little while,” she joked. Kate grinned and punched her lightly on the arm. 

“Idiot,” she said, but pulled Lisa close and kissed her hard. “Missed you.” 

“Missed you too,” Lisa replied, pulling back. She was warm and solid and very much here and Kate just grabbed her hand, led her all the way to the car, all the way back to their home where their children were waiting, with Frankie most definitely screwing up dinner and Jamie desperately trying to help, where Kate could help Lisa unpack and then kiss her underneath the mistletoe because they hadn’t had the chance to do that yet this year, and then kiss her as they rang in the New Year, with all the hope in their hearts and love in their arms, all the way back home, down the long, long road. 

“What took your flight so long?” Kate asked as she gripped the wheel. Lisa shrugged. 

“I have no clue. The pilot was saying that there were difficulties and then we were stuck for around two hours and then they let us off,” she said, grabbing Kate’s free hand. “I missed you very much.”

“I know,” Kate replied, kissing her hand. “House was very peaceful without you, though,” she teased. Lisa narrowed her eyes. 

“You sure about that?” 

Kate laughed. “No. Somehow, Frankie manages to make even bigger of a mess when you’re not here, which I didn’t think was possible.” 

“Well, what can I say. She is my daughter after all,” Lisa said proudly. Kate rolled her eyes. 

“She’s definitely your daughter when she wakes us at six in the morning for a field trip,” she commented. 

“Nope. She’s your daughter then,” Lisa countered and they laughed all the way home. 

Came home to a fully lit house—and a shameful admission from Jamie that they nearly burnt the house down with the candles near the Christmas tree that almost sent Kate flying except for the fact that Lisa calmed her down and told her again and again that the house didn’t actually set on fire and that was the main point anyways—and Frankie and Jamie had a lovely dinner set and made and Kate let out a huge sigh of relief that she didn’t even know that she was holding in. 

After dinner, they crowded around the piano to listen to Lisa play some of the songs she performed while on tour with her band, Kate watching avidly as her wife’s voice lifted through the house, strong, beautiful, and lovely, and she smiled wide when Jamie grabbed his guitar for the chorus and Kate joined in a little too, at the end. 

They turned on the television to CNN so they could listen to Anderson Cooper get drunk on live TV as they played board games in the living room, watching the clock out of the corner of their eyes, as the hours slowly ticked down and away. 

Kate listened as Lisa teased Jamie and Frankie for both being so awful at Monopoly and Kate couldn’t help but agree, but she had to admit that Lisa knew a lot more about business than the rest of them, of which Lisa just replied that it wasn’t business that made her good at the game, but the fact that “you idiots here just don’t know how to play” and rolled the dice and then landed right in jail afterwards. 

Frankie hollered, Jamie snickered, and Kate just sat back, nursing her tea in hand, watching as her family glowed by the fireplace and she was just so glad that Lisa was home, that Lisa was here for this, here right now, with them, playing their stupid little boardgames and jokes and music. In the middle of it all, when the game seemed to have gone on for ages, Kate grabbed the presents left under the tree for Lisa, handing them to her. 

“You missed Christmas—”

“Of which Kate was more than a little peeved about,  _ Mum _ ,” Frankie pointed out, but she was more-so joking now and Lisa just ducked her head a little.

“So you get to open your gifts now,” Kate finished, glaring at Frankie a little, who just shrugged. 

“I was right,” she mouthed. Kate just rolled her eyes. 

“We’re just glad you’re back now,” she said, hanging Lisa her three wrapped gifts. Lisa smiled, leaned over, and kissed Kate softly. 

“Thanks, babe,” she said casually, shaking the box up next her ear, grinning. “What do you think it is?” 

“Frankie’s was stupidly cheap,” Jamie just said and everyone laughed. Frankie glared at him. 

“Well, I’m the only one here without a job, Jamie, so shut it,” she shot back. Lisa just rolled her eyes and started ripping at the wrapping paper of the smallest one, the one that Kate gave her. Lisa revealed a delicate, velvet jewelry case. She looked up at Kate with bright eyes. 

“Oh Kate,” she said. Kate smiled, nodding, gesturing for her to open it. Lisa gently lifted the lid, showing a beautiful, golden ring with a sapphire in the middle, an elegant, dark red. “Kate, it’s beautiful.”

“Since it’s close to our fifth anniversary, I though it would fit with your wedding band,” Kate explained, holding up Lisa’s hand. “May I?” 

Lisa just nodded and Kate carefully lifted the ring from its case and sliding it onto Lisa’s fourth finger, sitting right above their matching wedding rings. 

“It’s beautiful,” Lisa said, looking at her hand. Kate smiled. “I love you,” she said, kissing Kate once more until Frankie made a comment about them still being in the room and out of the corner of her eye, Kate was sure that Jamie nudged her. Kate cleared her throat a little. 

“Now, for your gifts!” Lisa exclaimed, unwrapping the presents from Frankie and Jamie and all Kate could think about was how perfect her little family was, how lovely things were even though Lisa missed Christmas, how things eventually fell into place and she was here, with the love of her life and her children and the snow coming down hard outside and as they started to count down on TV—Anderson Cooper was very drunk at this point—Jamie popped the champagne and poured out four glasses and they all toasted to a New Year, to another start, to more of the future, to better studies and opportunities and happiness and blessings and Kate couldn’t think of a single thing she wanted more than her family, happy, safe, and healthy. 

“Five!” They could hear fireworks going off from their neighbours. 

“Four!” Jamie pulled Frankie into a hug and told her how proud of her he was and she just blushed and punched him in the arm. Kate grinned at the both of them. 

“Three!” Kate took a slip of her champagne, all bubbly and cold and she smiled right at Lisa. 

“Two!” Lisa pulled her close. 

“One!” 

**FIN.**

> _ "But it's never too late to come back to my side _
> 
> _ The stars in your eyes shined brighter in Tupelo _
> 
> _ And if you're ever tired of being known for who you know _
> 
> _ You know, you'll always know me, Dorothea (Uh-uh) _
> 
> _ Dorothea (Ah-ah)."  _ —"dorothea", Taylor Swift

**Author's Note:**

> i hope my three (3) readers enjoyed this story! i hope 2021 will be kinder, better, and more hopeful for you and i just want to thank everyone for commenting and kudoing all of the works in this tag and encouraging my tomfoolery with atlantisairlock. along with that, this was written for a new year's eve fic exchange with two of my good friends so here's to you idiots as well! happy new year and may everyone have a better 2021 than they did 2020 <3


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